Summary

“The First Night” Balram’s narration begins in the form of a memo being written to the Chinese premier, Wen Jiabao, in the immediate aftermath (within five minutes) of Balram hearing on the radio that Jiabao is coming to India. Balram comments on his belief that Jiabao is coming to learn about India’s entrepreneurs, of which, Balram says, India has plenty. He also says that he is one of the most successful entrepreneurs in India, adding that he has decided to tell Jiabao his story, which will reveal more about what it takes to be an entrepreneur than any of the cheap books he (Balram) says that Jiabao can get on the street. Balram then describes the room from which he is writing (a small office with its own large chandelier, in the city of Bangalore), and talks about how he was taught...